~ MONTHLY CLUB MEETING ~
The monthly senior club meeting takes place on Thursday 9th January in Aras Aoidh Ruaidh at 8.30pm. All committee members are asked to attend. Anyone with items for the agenda is asked to mail them to info@aodhruadh.org.

~ FOOTBALL ~
Details have been announced of ticket arrangements for the Ulster senior football championship match between Cavan and Donegal in Kingspan Breffni Park. The game is NOT all ticket. However, tickets WILL be required for the covered stand. Tickets for the covered stand are available through the club priced at €27. There are no concessions in the uncovered stand.
All terraces are cash on the day, priced €15. Student and senior citizen concession rate access to the terraces is €10 at designated stiles. Students must also be able to produce a valid student card. There are senior citizens seats available in the UNCOVERED stand for €15, cash on the day. Under 16 access to the terrace and UNCOVERED stand is free.
If anyone wants to book tickets for the COVERED stand please e-mail your order to info@aodhruadh.org, or text it to 087-6431805 by 1pm on Tuesday, 7th June.

Our seniors and reserves make the trip to Newtowncunnigham this Saturday to take on Naomh Cholmcille in the next round of the league. The reserve game throws in at 5.30pm and is followed by the seniors at 7pm.

The under 14s played out one of the games of the year in Father Tierney park against Ardara last Friday. Ardara laid down some serious firepower in the first half and they went in at the break with a deserved seven point lead. Aodh Ruadh played the game with just the bare 15 and in the second half every single Ballyshannon man lifted his performance. With a massive effort Aodh Ruadh were ahead by a point with moments to go, however a last minute goal for Ardara meant they took the two points. It was heartbreak for Aodh Ruadh, but the lads can be extremely proud of the heart and determination they showed. It was literally a 15 man performance, but in defence Cookie O'Halloran, Oisín Roper and Caolan Drummond were all outstanding, getting through a colossal amount of work under severe pressure. Conor Kennedy had a very good shift in midfield. Our forwards really rose to the challenge in the second half. Philip Patton, Jimmy Ward and Donal Sweeney all had showed sparks of brilliance, however Shane McGrath was outstanding, an exceptional talent for the future. We have pictures from the game up. Aodh Ruadh's next game is due to be away to Dungloe this Wednesday, 8th May at 7.30pm, but that fixture may yet be moved, further details will be supplied as they become available.

Aodh Ruadh under 12s were in Dungloe on Bank Holiday Monday. The A team battled well, but were defeated by 6-6 to 3-3. John Conor McGarrigle is showing himself to be a fine keeper, making several excellent saves over the course of the game. In front of him Michael McKenna is another showing promise, this time in a defensive capacity. Up front Shane Dorrian offered a consistent attacking threat. The B team were also defeated, but there were good performances from Jack McSharry in goals as well as Aaron Peach and Caolan Dolan in defence. Further out the field Seamus Cleary at midfield and Stephen Lee up front both carried the fight to Dungloe. There is training for the under 12s this Wednesday, 8th June at 4.15pm. The next game takes place on Monday, 13th June, when Aodh Ruadh host Naomh Columba. The games throw in at 6.30pm next Monday, and all players must be up at the park for 5.45pm.

The under 10s travelled to Bundoran for a blitz last Saturday. We took 28 young players who enjoyed a good hard day's football and were well looked after by Bundoran. Many thanks to all the parents who helped provide transport, your assistance is much appreciated. The under 10s are training again this Saturday morning from 11am to 12 noon in Páirc Aoidh Ruaidh. Our next blitz on Saturday 18th June in Glenties.

The under 8s and under 6s continue training in Páirc Aoidh Ruaidh this Friday from 6pm to 7pm.

~ HURLING ~
On Thursday last Aodh Ruadh and Buncrana met for the third year in a row in the under 14 league final in O'Donnell Park, Letterkenny. On a scorching evening both teams produced one of the best underage games in Donegal for years. The closeness of the contest was reflected in the half time score line of Aodh Ruadh 0-3 Buncrana 0-2. The first half had everything you want in a game of hurling; passion, commitment and all the skills of catching, blocking and hooking. The Buncrana men got off to the perfect start in the second half when Aodh Ruadh conceded a poor goal. Buncrana followed this up with a quick pair of points. The division three Ulster champions, fresh from a comprehensive victory over Portaferry of Down looked like they would take control, but Aodh Ruadh, showing why they were double champions in 2009 and 2010, battled away and matched their opponents stroke for stroke. Scores were at a premium and both sides matched each other evenly and the gap remained at four points throughout the second half. As the game entered injury time the fitter Buncrana boys got two goals leaving the final score Buncrana 3-6 Aodh Ruadh 0-5. Both teams were exhausted at the final whistle and had given it their all, the large crowd were treated to a brilliant game and Buncrana added the league title to their Donegal Féile and Ulster Féile titles. Thanks to all the parents and supporters who travelled to the game and gave great support to the lads who can hold their heads high knowing they had played their part in truly wonderful game.
The next outing for the under 14s is the championship semi-final against Saint Eunan's in Father Tierney park on Thursday night. The throw in time is 7pm and all support is welcome.

On Friday evening Aodh Ruadh were invited to take part in a festival of underage hurling hosted by Lisbellaw. Our under 8s, 10s and 12s made the trip to Cavancarragh on a beautiful evening for hurling and 33 young hurlers gave it their all in games against Lisbellaw and Knocks. All teams played three games with the following results. The under 8s won two and lost one. The under 10s won three and lost none. The under 12s won one and lost two. Well done to all the managers and parents who went to this blitz. A great time was had by all the kids, thanks to Lisbellaw for the invite and their hospitality. Thanks to Eddie Lynch who took some team shots of the Aodh Ruadh representatives on the day.

Saturday the 4th June 2011 will go down in history as the day Donegal hurlers won their first senior All-Ireland title in the form of the Lory Meagher Cup. After defeat in the previous two finals they were determined to make it third time lucky. Defeat looked to be their lot again, but a last minute goal allowed them run out winners on a score line of Donegal 2-12 Tyrone 0-17. There was great celebrations after, well done to manager, Andrew Wallace, and his squad. Special congratulations to Aodh Ruadh under 16 hurling manager Peter Horan who was part of the historic panel, Aodh Ruadh senior hurler of the year in 2010 Paul Sheridan who lined out in midfield and scored a vital point and also well done to Aodh Ruadh's Aidan Begley who was part of the management team. All three lads played an important role in this historic victory. Thanks to Eddie Lynch who got a snap of Peter Horan and Paul Sheridan on this great and memorable occasion.

Our under 8 hurlers take part in a county blitz being hosted by Setanta this Sunday, 12th June travel arrangements will be circulated during the week.

Training continues at 12 noon on Sunday.

~ LADIES ~
The Senior Ladies will face Saint Eunan's at home this Sunday at 12 noon in the league.

Tomorrow evening, Tuesday, 7th June, the under 14 girls will play Saint Naul's, in Father Tierney park at 7pm. On Thursday the under 14s will be on their travels to Donegal Town to play Four Masters, that game throws in at 6.30pm.

The under 12s played their first game of the season last Wednesday against a youthful Erne Gaels outfit. It was a good result for Aodh Ruadh and a fine team display. Lorna Matthews did a good job of mopping up Belleek attacks, while the strong midfield pairing of Dearbhla O'Moore and Rebecca Duffy gave Aodh Ruadh a great attacking base to build on. Up front Saoirse McDevitt marked herself out as a great attacking prospect with some fine scores. We have some great pictures from the game up. It is hoped that Aodh Ruadh will host an under 12 Go Games blitz this Saturday, 11th June, further details will be supplied over the course of the week as they become available. Training continues for the under 12s are training this Wednesday, 8th June, and Monday 13th June from 4.30pm to 5.30pm up at the park.

The under 10 and under 8 girls will be training from 5.30pm to 6.30pm this Wednesday, 8th June. It is hoped to run the under 10 girls Willie Rogers tournament on Wednesday 15th June, further details nearer the time.

~ OFF THE PITCH ~
Live to Play in being promoted by CLG Dhún na nGall on Facebook and so far has over 700 members. Follow this road safety initiative by joining Live to Play Donegal on Facebook and be in with a chance to win two tickets for Take That in Croke Park on Saturday 18th June.

~ FOOTBALL ~
First half goals from David Dolan and Turlough McIntyre were enough to see visitors Aodh Ruadh cruise past a gutsy Naomh Cholmcille side in Páirc Cholmcille on Saturday night on a score line of 2-14 to 1-14. For periods in the first half the Ballyshannon men looked vastly superior and those goals, which opened and closed the first half, appeared to be setting up the home side for a second-half whipping. The Newtown men got to grips with things more in the second half, but could never quite overhaul the Ernesiders. Best for Aodh Ruadh were David Dolan who proved very troublesome as did Michael 'Sticky' Ward. Darren Drummond was very impressive at midfield, before going off with a knock to the knee, while Ronan McGurrin had an excellent outing at half back. There is an extended match report and pictures, courtesy of Cathal Maguire.

The reserves continued their irresistible run of results with another win, this one a 1-19 to 0-6 victory over Naomh Cholmcille. Defensively, young Padraig Storey came on as a substitute and was very impressive in his first reserve outing. In midfield Shane McShea and Pauric Loughlin enjoyed the great majority of possession. Locky capped another fine display with the only goal of the game. Diarmuid McInerney was another in good form and he clocked up eight points, with most coming from play. The game was also notable for the first appearance of father and son pair Raymond and Ryan Granaghan on the pitch at the same time a great one for the family scrap book. There are pictures from the game, again courtesy of Cathal Maguire, up.

The seniors and reserves are on their travels again next weekend when they take on Burt this Saturday. Throw in times will be confirmed tomorrow evening.

It's just under a fortnight now until the under 16s get their championship campaign under way. They will take on Four Masters in Tir Chonaill park in the first leg on Monday, 27th June.

The under 14s game against Dungloe was postponed last week and will now take place on Monday 20th June with throw in at 7.30pm. That will be followed by another trip to Glenties on Wednesday 22nd June to take on Naomh Conaill. Congratulations to under 14 Aodh Ruadh player Shane McGrath who was demonstrating his trademark shimmy to the patrons at Breffni park last Sunday during the half time mini-games. We have pictures up on the website of Shane, with more pictures from Sunday's action to follow later in the week.

Under 12s were beat by Naomh Columba on a score line of 1-13 to 4-7 on Monday evening. In fairness, Aodh Ruadh played very, very well and were unlucky not to get a result from the encounter. Once again John Conor McGarrigle was called upon to make some exceptional saves in nets, while Shane Gillespie and Ciaran Meehan provided stout resistance to the lads from in through. Dylan Gallagher was outstanding throughout at midfield for Aodh Ruadh and he was very ably supported by Michael McKenna. Up front the impressive Shane Dorrian showed a lot of good touches while Odhran O'Neill also caught the eye.
The annual under 12 Willie Rogers tournament takes place this Saturday, with the action getting under way at 2pm. Erne Gaels, Melvin Gaels and Bundoran will be taking part along with Aodh Ruadh.
The final game of the under 12 season takes on Monday, 20th June when Aodh Ruadh are away to Naomh Mhuire. The games throw in at 6.30pm next and all players must be up at the park for 4.15pm. We should be back in town around 10pm.

The under 10s are going to Naomh Conaill this Saturday 18th June for a blitz. We will be travelling to Glenties in convoy so we would appreciate if as many parents as possible could remain on to help with transport. Players to assemble at the Park for 9.30am.

The under 8s and under 6s continue training in Páirc Aoidh Ruaidh this Friday from 6pm to 7pm.

Given that Donegal are almost certainly going to destroy Tyrone and book their place in the Ulster Final there is sure to be a great deal of interest in the semi-final which will take place in Clones on Sunday, 26th June. Indications at this point are that the game will not be all ticket. Pricing should be as follows. All under 16s are free into the terrace, Pat McGrane stand and Eastern stand. Admission to the terrace is €15 for adults, and €10 for senior citizens and students. The covered stand is €27 for adults and €15 for senior citizens.
There are family tickets available for the Gerry Arthurs stand in the open seating with under 16s paying €5 and adults €25. Text ticket orders to 087-6431805 or e-mail info@aodhruadh.org.
Special group packages are also available and anyone interested in bringing a team or group is asked to contact 087-6431805 or e-mail info@aodhruadh.org for details.

~ HURLING ~
On Thursday last Aodh Ruadh and Saint Eunan's met in the under 14 championship semi-final in Father Tierney Park. The Letterkenny men, still smarting from a heavy defeat in the league semi-final two weeks previously against the same opposition, were determined to put on a better show and that they did. Aodh Ruadh got off to a perfect start and had two points on the board in the first two minutes, they kept up their work rate and got a couple of good goals as a result of their hard work. They took their foot off the pedal coming up to half time and the Eunan's men made them pay scoring 1-1 before half time leaving the half time score Aodh Ruadh 2-6 Saint Eunan's 1-1. The Ernesiders found it difficult to get into their rhythm in the second half while Saint Eunan's continued working hard and began to believe they could win the game. They fought strongly, but credit to Aodh Ruadh, they held out and finished the game strongly. A late goal put a gloss on the final score, leaving it Aodh Ruadh 3-7 Saint Eunan's 2-3. John Doyle from Sligo refereed this game and his common sense approach in letting the game flow added greatly to the match on a miserable night in terms of weather. Credit also to both teams for putting in a great effort in a very sporting game. We have pictures from the match up. This victory sees the lads qualifying for their third under 14 championship final in a row and sets up a repeat of the league final as they clash with their old rivals, Buncrana. The game is fixed for MacCumhaill Park, Ballybofey this Thursday, 16th June, with a throw in time of 7pm. All support very welcome on what is a big night for the lads and the club.
On Sunday next the under 14s are at home to Lisbellaw in the Fermanagh League with a throw in time of 1pm.

On Friday morning Aodh Ruadh juvenile hurling committee were delighted and very proud to bring the Lory Meagher Trophy on a tour of the local national schools who promote hurling in the area. Local members of the newly crowned All-Ireland champions Donegal panel, Peter Horan and Paul Sheridan, accompanied by Aidan Begley who was part of the team management, kindly brought the cup on a tour of the schools. They were accompanied by local underage mangers Eddie Lynch, Michael Ayres and John Rooney. Thanks to all the pupils for their interest in meeting the lads and many thanks to Matt Britton of the Donegal Democrat who accompanied us on this tour and took some great photographs capturing this historic event for our club. We have a full report on the day up and also hope to have the pictures up on in the near future.

On Friday seven members of our under 12s travelled to Letterkenny Gaels to take part in trials for an county development squad who travel to play in Croke Park in July. Well done to Barry Kelly and Ryan Ayres who were selected to play in Croke Park. A further trial is to be held this Friday and it's hoped further Aodh Ruadh players will be selected. Thanks to Michael Ayres, Kevin McDermott and all the parents who travelled to this event.

On Sunday last 11 of our under 8 hurlers took part in a very enjoyable blitz hosted by Setanta. The lads played six games winning four and losing two. The lads had a great day and all had a very enjoyable time. Thanks to joint managers, Pauric Keenaghan and Dennis Daly, and all the parents who travelled to this blitz.

Well done to underage hurlers Meabh Rooney who came second in the long puck at the Community Games county finals in Milford on Sunday and under 10 hurler Owen Doherty who came third in the under 10 80 metres hurdles.

On Monday evening Mickey Glover from the Ulster Council conducted a very enjoyable coaching session for our under 8 and under 10 hurlers in Páirc Aoidh Ruaidh, thanks to all coaches and parents who attended this very informative session.

Our under 12s are taking part in an all county blitz in O'Donnell Park, Letterkenny this Sunday. Travel arrangements will be circulated during the week.

Training continues as normal at 12 noon this Sunday.

~ LADIES ~
The Senior ladies will take on Saint Eunan's this Tuesday evening, 14th June at 7.30pm in park.

The under 14 girls are away against Saint Naul's on Tuesday, 14th June at 6.15pm. The bus leaves the park 5pm. Please bring €2 for the bus. The girls are at home against Four Masters this Sunday, time yet to be decided.

Aodh Ruadh hosted an under 12 Go Games blitz last Saturday, with teams from Saint Naul's, Glenties and Four Masters travelling to Ballyshannon for the morning's football. First up to face the Aodh Ruadh Ladies were Four Masters, followed by Glenties and finally Saint Naul's. This was the first blitz of the year for The girls and the battled hard through every game. Well done to all the girls who played on the day: Emer McGonigle, Bronagh Kelly, Shauna Slevin, Erin McGowan, Rionach Sheerin, Roisin Maguire, Laoise Gallagher, Cáit Gillespie, Valerie Harley, Rebecca Gillespie, Dearbhaile McGuckin, Sarah Drummond, Bridín Maguire, Roisin Gallagher and Mary Flora Drummond.

This Wednesday the under 10 girls will take part in the Willie Rogers Tournament which will get under way at 6.30pm in Páirc Aoidh Ruaidh. Teams from Erne Gaels, Four Masters and Saint Naul's will also be taking part. Players are asked to be up for at 6pm.

~ VOTES OF SYMPATHY ~
The following votes of sympathy were passed at the monthly meeting of the senior club executive committee. The Cleary family of Bishop Street on the death of Tommy; The Meehan family of Rowantreehill on the death of Cecilia; The McIntyre family of the Mall on the death of Susan; The Daly and Ward families on the death of Michael Ward; The Quinn family of Bellaghy on the death of Catherine.

~ FOOTBALL ~
Burt became Aodh Ruadh's fourth Inishowen victims of this year's division three league following an 0-6 to 1-9 win for the Ballyshannon men on a wet Saturday evening at Hibernian Park, Burt. This was the quintessential game of two halves Burt dominating the first while the visitors coasted the second. Michael 'Sticky' Ward, David Dolan and Kerry Ryan accounted for the visitor's first-half haul. Aodh Ruadh draw level within two minutes of the restart Brian Roper and Dolan both scoring from play and by the sixth minute they had gone two points up. In the closing minutes Aodh Ruadh added 1-2, the impressive Sticky Ward hitting both points while David Dolan scrambled the ball over the line to finish off any chance Burt had of a late come-back. There is an extended match report plus the usual fine photography up.

Another strong second half performance saw Aodh Ruadh reserves home against Burt last Saturday. The game was nip and tuck for much of the first half and the sides went in at the whistle with Ernesiders just ahead on a score line of 2-6 to 1-5. Ballyshannon upped the intensity in the second half and ran out 1-8 to 5-15 winners. Ronan Drummond had an excellent game at half back doing much to stem Burt and set the visitors off on the counter. Padraig Loughlin showed great consistency with another very good showing in the middle of the field where he was partnered by Barry Travers. Up front Diarmaid McInerney proved very difficult for Burt to handle and he bagged two goals with Joe Watson also getting in amongst the majors. Anthony Coughlan came on and also made a significant attacking contribution. We have a good selection of pictures from the game up.

The seniors and reserves will host Carndonagh in Father Tierney Park this Saturday. The reserves throw in at 5.30pm with Gabriel O'Donnell reffing. They will be followed by the seniors at 7pm, Michael McShane taking care of that one.

The final round of minor league games are finally being played this Friday so Aodh Ruadh should finally get clarity on where they stand in relation to the next stage of the league.

The under 16s get their championship campaign under way when they take on Four Masters in Tir Chonaill park in the first leg on Monday, 27th June. Shaun Campbell is down to referee that encounter.

Aodh Ruadh went back to second in the under 14 league table with a superb 4-13 to 1-5 away win over Dungloe. There were two contenders for man of the match, both at opposite ends of the field. In the back line Oisín Rooney was absolutely outstanding, Dungloe simply couldn't find a way past him. There were also strong defensive display from Kieran Kelly and Eugene Drummond. Meanwhile at the other end of the field Shane McGrath was in irresistible form, scoring 4-4 in total. Terry Ward also had a fine game of football knocking over a series of points from play. Jimmy Ward mightn't have scored but he wrought havoc in the Dungloe rearguard, setting up two of Shane McGrath goals. The lads now have another big game on the road, the next being a trip to Glenties on Wednesday 22nd June to take on Naomh Conaill. That promises to be a cracking game of football and one which will have a big bearing on the final league table. We would encourage anyone who can travel to get along and support the lads.

Last Saturday the under 12s of Aodh Ruadh, Bundoran, Melvin Gaels and Erne Gaels came to Ballyshannon to compete in the Willie Rogers tournament. Bundoran recently enjoyed double Cumann na mBunscol success and they showed that class as they took the A title with a convincing 7-6 to 2-1 win in the final over Aodh Ruadh. The B title, meanwhile, stayed on Erneside as Aodh Ruadh emerged victorious against Bundoran by 2-3 to 1-1 in the final. Sylvester Maguire, compèred the prize-giving and first introduced Willie Rogers' wife, Rene, to present medals to the B finalists. First, runners-up medals to the Bundoran B team and then winners' medals to the Aodh Ruadh team. After the B presentations Rene presented the defeated Aodh Ruadh finalists with their runners up medals, before presenting the Willie Rogers trophy to the Bundoran captain. Aodh Ruadh would like to extend their sincere thanks to the participating teams, to those who officiated the matches, Chris Kelly, Ryan Walsh, Pat Walsh and Jim Kane, those who provided the refreshments, the stewards and to all those who gave of their time and effort to make the event such a success. We have over 50 pictures from the day up and a five minute video highlights reel up.

The under 10s were down in Glenties last Saturday where 23 Ballyshannon players took part in a blitz along with Bundoran and Naomh Columba. Well done to all the Aodh Ruadh players, they represented the club well with very committed and skillful performances. The under 10s are training again this Saturday morning from 11am to 12 noon in Páirc Aoidh Ruaidh.

The under 8s and under 6s continue training in Páirc Aoidh Ruaidh this Friday from 6pm to 7pm.

~ HURLING ~
On Thursday last, in horrendous conditions of heavy rain and hail stones, our under 14s renewed their rivalry with Buncrana in the championship final. It's the third year in a row these two clubs have met at this stage and the Inishowen men were determined to overturn the results of the previous two years. There was a large and vocal crowd present for this eagerly awaited final. The first half had some great passages of hurling with both teams giving it their all in atrocious conditions, the Buncrana men were getting on top but Aodh Ruadh gave it their all trying to stay in touch including blocking a penalty. The Ballyshannon lads battled gamely throughout the first half and went in behind 1-5 to 1-1. Buncrana began the second half in whirlwind fashion and with their strength, hurling-wise and physically, they came out on top and kept the pressure on the Ernesiders throughout the second half. Aodh Ruadh gave it their all, but this fine Buncrana team ran out convincing winners 6-17 to 3-2. They are the only team to have beaten us in league or championship this year and they head to the All-Ireland Féile this weekend in Galway as serious contenders to win the All-Ireland division four title. Best wishes to them from Aodh Ruadh as they represent Donegal in Galway. Thanks to all our loyal supporters who travelled to MacCumhaill Park to support the lads.

Sunday last was a very busy day for underage hurling in the club, our under 12s travelled to O'Donnell Park, Letterkenny to take part in an all-county blitz. 17 players made the trip and they played five games in total, beating Setanta, MacCumhaill's and Letterkenny Gaels, and losing narrowly to Buncrana and Saint Eunan's. A great day was had by all and thanks to Michael Ayres and Kevin McDermott who travelled with the team and all the parents who travelled to Letterkenny. Thanks to Saint Eunan's for their hospitality and ensuring that a great day was had by all.

Back in Father Tierney Park the under 14s played Lisbellaw in the Fermanagh League. This was a very close game with little between the teams, Aodh Ruadh missed a lot of scoring chances and seemed to be suffering in terms of confidence after their loss to Buncrana but the lads battled away and edged home on a score line of 1-3 to 1-2. This now means they play Lisbellaw in the Fermanagh league Final and a huge improvement will be needed if they are to retain their title.

This game was followed by a great under 16 challenge game between Aodh Ruadh and Eire Óg, Carrickmore of Tyrone. With the aid of the strong breeze Aodh Ruadh had a great first half and were full of running and battling and had a good lead going in at the break. As anyone who follows Ulster Hurling knows, Carrickmore is one of the major clubs in Tyrone with a great tradition and the lads knew they would not give up and would come out fighting in the second half. Our young team played with great spirit and never gave up and ran out winners 3-13 to 3-7. Great credit has to six of our under 14 hurlers who showed their commitment to the cause by playing both games on Sunday and giving it their all in very warm conditions. Thanks to Eddie Lynch who reffed the game and the mothers who catered for both teams afterwards.

There is an under 10 blitz in Letterkenny Gaels this Sunday, players will be contacted during the week

On Monday last Holy Family National School made it two in a row of nine-a-side National Schools titles by beating Creevy National School in Father Tierney Park, Ballyshannon. It was a great game full of passion and commitment both sides were evenly matched in the first half and Creevy turned over a point in front. Holy Family fought back and showed the character of champions and ran out winners 5-4 to 1-5. It was a great game with a large attendance present and the encouraging thing for Aodh Ruadh was that out of the 20 players 16 of them play for the club. Under 16 manager Peter Horan did a great job of reffing the game.

Some Aodh Ruadh members were at the Galway Dublin game last Saturday evening and met up with Davy Fitzgerald once again. Davy was a gentleman, as ever, and happily posed for a picture with Oisin Rooney, Brendan Gillespie, Senan Rooney and Caelan Drummomd as they renewed their friendship with Clare legend and current Waterford boss

~ LADIES ~
Aodh Ruadh welcomed Saint Eunan's to Father Tierney Park last night, and the visitors made themselves all too at home. Ballyshannon had the bare 15, but they battled well and at half time there was only a goal in the contest. However sharp-shooter Elaine Dorrian had to go off injured in the second half, reducing the homesters to 14. Letterkenny proceeded to make hay in the final quarter to run out 2-5 to 5-6 victors. We have pictures from the match up. The senior ladies next assignment is expected to be Four Masters in the league this weekend in Donegal Town. Day and time to be confirmed during the week.

After a good win on Sunday evening against Four Masters the under 14 girls will now play Saint Eunan's in the county semi-final. Date, time and venue have yet to be confirmed.

A number of girls pulled on an Aodh Ruadh jersey for the first time last Wednesday as the club hosted the Willie Rogers under 10 blitz. Erne Gaels, Four Masters and Saint Naul's also took part with Erne Gaels and Four Masters contesting to the final. Congratulations to Erne Gaels who took the honours after a hard fought decider. Rene Rogers was on hand to present the trophy to the winning Belleek captain. We have now have pictures from the tournament up.

~ SUMMER CAMP ~
The 20th annual Aodh Ruadh Summer Camp commences on Monday, 4th July and continues until Friday, 22nd July. There's loads to do with football, hurling, swimming, rounders, obstacle courses and plenty of other fun and games. Each week of the camp concludes with a sports day on Friday. The camp runs from 10am to 3pm and is open to all children from 6 to 14 years-of-age. This year prices remain unchanged for the seventh year in a row and represent excellent value. The cost per week is €70 per child. Family concessions are as follows: €130 for two children; €180 for three children; and €200 for four children. Children should bring a packed lunch as no one will be allowed to leave the camp during the day. Applications have been distributed to local schools, but forms can also be downloaded from aodhruadh.org. These should be returned to Sylvester Maguire at The Mullans Ballyshannon or brought to camp on the first Monday of the week. Enquiries to 071-9858277 or 086-0532495 or check out www.aodhruadh.org or "Aodh Ruadh CLG" on www.facebook.com.

~ FOOTBALL ~
Congratulations to Donegal on booking their place in the Ulster senior football final for the first time since 1998. It was a well deserved win against one of the great powers of football. We don't have details of pricing yet, but the Ulster final in Clones on Sunday 17th July will be all ticket. Pricing details will be supplied as soon as we have them and advance bookings are been taken as of now. Club members will be prioritised over non-members. E-mail advance orders to info@aodhruadh.org or text 087-6431805. Aodh Ruadh will NOT be ordering spare tickets.

Aodh Ruadh had a feisty battle with Carndonagh on Saturday evening. Ahead by a goal at half time, the Inishowen men reeled Aodh Ruadh back in and got the game back to level pegging going into the final quarter. Kerry Ryan came on at that point and his introduction helped steady the ship and see Ballyshannon home. Sticky Ward got a goal in the dying moments to give the homesters a six point 2-10 to 1-7 victory. Sticky was in fine form, but also showing well for Aodh Ruadh were Kieran Keown at corner back and Conor Patton at centre back. With the first half of the league campaign complete, Aodh Ruadh have won seven out of ten games and challenged strongly in the games they lost to Naomh Bríd, Naomh Mhuire and Saint Naul's. There are strong grounds for optimism for the remainder of the campaign and great credit must go to players, management and everyone involved in the squad. There is an extended match report and pictures from the game up.

Aodh Ruadh were very impressive as they charged to their tenth successive league win of the season, retaining their 100 percent record in the process. Once again Padraig Loughlin and Diarmaid McInerney were central to Ballyshannon's best work. Brian McGuinness and David Finnerty did a power of work in the half back line frustrating Carndonagh's forward momentum. Diarmuid Slevin had an excellent game and his distribution of ball in particular was superb. One of the beneficiaries up front was Garret Blake whose scoring polish got plenty of exposure. Father and son pair Raymond and Ryan Granaghan were also sprung from the bench in the interests allowing Raymond to show Ryan how it's done at first hand. We have pictures from the game up.

Saturday, 2nd July is D-day for the seniors and reserves as they travel north to take on Fanad Gaels in second leg first round championship games. Both Ballyshannon sides won their first leg games, the seniors by 1-8 to 0-10 and reserves by 2-11 to 1-7. The seniors needed a last gasp point from David Dolan to win the first day out, while the reserves had to deliver an almighty performance against the wind in the second half, having been four points down at half time. Fanad Gaels will have been waiting for these games for some time and will be highly motivated. Aodh Ruadh will need as many supporters as possible to make the trip to the Fanad peninsula and get behind them. The reserves throw in at 6pm with Paddy McGonagle reffing. They will be followed by the seniors at 7.30pm, Don Langdon taking charge of that one.

The final round of minor league games have still not been played. Naomh Bríd and St John's are due to be played this Friday with Dungloe and Naomh Columba the following Friday. Aodh Ruadh are still waiting for those games to be played so we will know where they stand in relation to the next stage of the league.

The under 16s got their championship campaign off to a good start on Monday evening when they defeated Four Masters by 2-14 to 2-1 in Tir Chonaill park in the quarter final first leg. Eamon McGrath at full back and Matthew Gettins and Niall Harley half back were exceptional in defence. Mickey McNeely and Eddie Lynch had a very good outing at half forward. James Kelly was very sharp at inside forward, while David McGurrin had a superb game, hitting both of Aodh Ruadh goals and a slew of points. The second leg against Four Masters takes place next Monday, 4th July in Father Tierney Park. The under 16s took on our minors in a close, hard fought match last Thursday ahead of the under 16s championship encounter against Four Masters on Monday and we have pictures of that tussle up.

Despite losing by 5-13 to 2-5 in Glenties Aodh Ruadh's under 14s still gave a good account of themselves against Naomh Conaill. The back line of Oisín Rooney, Eugene Drummond and Kieran Kelly once again gave a great display, performing heroics on occasions. Cookie O'Halloran soldiered well in the middle of the field where he was well partnered by Conor Kennedy. Shane McGrath was always dangerous up front, while Philip Patton and Terry Ward both offered a strong scoring threat. The lads' next game is another trip down the road, this time to Annagry on Wednesday 29th June to take on Naomh Mhuire. The throw-in is at 7.30pm.

The under 10s have a tournament away to Kilcar this Saturday, 2nd July. The bus leaves Father Tierney Park at 9.15pm.

The under 8s hope to have a game against Four Masters this weekend. Day, time and venue have yet to be definitely nailed down, but keep an eye on aodhruadh.org of the latest details.

~ HURLING ~
Ballyshannon hosted the inaugural Peter O'Keefe inter-county under 15 hurling on Saturday past. Teams from Donegal, Mayo and Tyrone took part in a festival of hurling to celebrate the memory of a great Aodh Ruadh hurling man, who was taken from us in August last year. We will have a full report on the day's proceedings in the notes tomorrow, and there are over 50 images from the super day of hurling up.

The under 10 hurlers were in action this weekend when they took part in a blitz at Letterkenny Gaels. they played five games and won four of them. Nine players traveled up to Letterkenny and we were under strength. This gave some of the other players a chance to step up to the mark and they proved they are well able to hurl as the results show. These players showed they have great potential for the future and a great attitude. Thanks to Letterkenny Gaels for hosting the blitz and looking after the teams so well.

Training continues as normal at 12 noon this Sunday.

~ LADIES ~
The seniors were unlucky to finish on a 2-9 to 3-6 draw yesterday after a strong performance against Four Masters. Aodh Ruadh only had the bare 15 with a lot of players away on holidays or detained by work. Four Masters got off to a flyer with two goals, but the Ballyshannon girls got stuck into the work and by half time they were leading by a point. Aodh Ruadh maintained that lead until the last kick of the game when the Donegal town girls kicked an equalising point. Aodh Ruadh had a very strong defensive display from Tara Khan at centre half back as well as Aoife Buggy and Katie Flood. Grainne Gillespie did well in attack, bagging a goal, as did Sarah Patton when her high shot dropped into the back of the net. Fionnuala Gill was very busy and was rewarded with two good points while Maeve Liston and Donna Martin also got on the score sheet.

Aodh Ruadh were defeated by a stronger and more physical outfit in the county B final on Monday evening on a score line of 9-9 to 6-5. Ballyshannon began the game very strongly, but couldn't make their dominance count on the score board. In the second quarter Urris countered well and were very clinical in taking their chances. The Ernesiders came back into things before the break, but Urris upped it again in the third quarter and opened a gap Aodh Ruadh were unable to bridge over the remainder of the game, despite finishing strongly. Ballyshannon deserve great credit for their never-say-die attitude and they kept playing to the very end. Best for Aodh Ruadh were Niamh Shanley and Eva McMullin in defence and Up Katie McCaffrey and Niamh Gallagher were among the goals, while Orlaith Gillespie was the focal point for many Ballyshannon attacking moves. The final should prove good experience for the girls, with many also lining out for the under 16s. We have pictures from the girls home-coming after their victory over Saint Eunan's in the county final last Wednesday.

The under 12 girls had a very successful blitz last Saturday in Glenties, winning three out of their four matches. Under 12 girls will be training this Wednesday at 4.30pm.

~ CONGRATULATIONS ~
Many, congratulations to Father McManus of Saint Joseph's on celebrating 25 years in the priesthood last Friday.

~ SUMMER CAMP ~
The 20th annual Aodh Ruadh Summer Camp commences on Monday, 4th July and continues until Friday, 22nd July. There's loads to do with football, hurling, swimming, rounders, obstacle courses and plenty of other fun and games. Each week of the camp concludes with a sports day on Friday. The camp runs from 10am to 3pm and is open to all children from 6 to 14 years-of-age. This year prices remain unchanged for the seventh year in a row and represent excellent value. The cost per week is €70 per child. Family concessions are as follows: €130 for two children; €180 for three children; and €200 for four children. Children should bring a packed lunch as no one will be allowed to leave the camp during the day. Applications have been distributed to local schools, but forms can also be downloaded from aodhruadh.org. These should be returned to Sylvester Maguire at The Mullans Ballyshannon or brought to camp on the first Monday of the week. Enquiries to 071-9858277 or 086-0532495 or check out www.aodhruadh.org or "Aodh Ruadh CLG" on www.facebook.com.

The under 10 blitz this Saturday will take place in Donegal town, not Kilcar as stated in yesterday's notes.

Meanwhile the Four Masters under 8s are coming to Ballyshannon this Friday. The first game throws-in at 6.30pm, but players are to be up for their normal time of 6pm.

~ HURLING ~
Ballyshannon hosted the inaugural Peter O'Keefe inter-county under 15 hurling on Saturday past. We now have a full report on the day's proceedings as well as over 50 images from the super day of hurling. Teams from Donegal, Mayo and Tyrone took part in a festival of hurling to celebrate the memory of a great Aodh Ruadh hurling man, who was taken from us in August last year. Donegal under 15s and under 16s took part as well as under 15 sides from Tyrone and Mayo. The Donegal and Mayo under 15s contested the final with the Tir Chonaill boys winning by 3-10 to 3-0. The O'Keefe family were represented at the presentation ceremony by Peter's wife Rosaleen and his son Peadar. Rosaleen thanked everyone involved in making it such a memorable, well-organised event and thanked the Donegal Hurling board, especially Donal McLaughlin, for getting such a beautiful trophy for the tournament. Peadar then presented the Corn Peadar ui Cuiv to Donegal's captain, Jamie Brennan, a Bundoran man who was introduced to hurling by the late Peter O'Keefe. Check out the full report of the days action.

On Thursday last the under 14s travelled to Carrickmore in Tyrone to play the local Eire Óg team. On another atrocious evening weather-wise, Aodh Ruadh put in a poor performance. They were under-strength, missing a few regulars, but the performance lacked the usual bite associated with this team. They play Fermanagh rivals Lisbellaw in the Fermanagh League final next Monday and a much improved performance will be needed if they are to retain their title. The venue is yet to be confirmed.

Under 12s and under 16s begin their league campaigns this Thursday with the 12s away to Carndonagh and the under 16s at home to the same opposition.

Best wishes to Aodh Ruadh underage hurlers Aaron Fannon and Paul Cummins for a speedy recovery after their recent accidents.